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Crust punk
d-beat |cultural_origins = Mid 1980s, England |instruments = Electric guitar, bass, drums, vocals |popularity = Underground |derivatives = Grindcore |other_topics = Crusties, metalcore, sludge metal }} Crust punk (often simply crust) is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills. The term "crust" was coined by Hellbastard on their 1986 Ripper Crust demo.Glasper 2009, 185 Crust is partly defined by its "bassy" and "dirty" sound. It is often played at a fast tempo with occasional slow sections. Vocals are usually guttural and may be grunted, growled or screamed. Crust punk takes cues from heavy metal band Black Sabbath and the anarcho-punk of Discharge and the extreme metal of bands like Venom, Celtic Frost and Motörhead. While the term was first associated with Amebix have been described as the originators of the style. Characteristics Instrumentation Crust punk is a derivative form of hardcore punk and anarcho-punk, mixed with metal riffs. The tempos are often fast, but just short of thrashcore or grindcore. However, many groups confine themselves to a crawling, sludgy pace. The overall musical sound has been described as being "stripped down". Drumming is typically done at high speed, with D-beats sometimes being used. Vocals and lyrics Vocals in crust punk are often shrieked or shouted, and may be shared between two or more vocalists. The lyrical content of crust punk tends to be bleak and nihilistic, yet politically engaged. Crust punk songs are often about nuclear war, militarism, animal rights, police, personal grievances, oppressive states and fascism. Amebix were also interested in various forms of mysticism and Gnosticism. Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, guitarist and vocalist of Hellbastard, describes the distinction between metal and crust punk lyrics: History , considered as one of the originators of crust punk music.]] Precursors The initial inspiration for the crust punk scene came from the anarcho-punk of Crass and D-beat of Discharge. Swedish D-beat groups such as Crude SS, Anti Cimex and Mob 47 and the Finnish Rattus were also early influences."In Grind We Crust," p. 51. Amebix also brought in influences from various post-punk bands, including Public Image Ltd., Bauhaus, Joy Division, and especially Killing Joke.Glasper 2006. "Amebix." p. 198-201. The proto-metal sound of Black Sabbath and Motörhead was also a big influence on both Amebix and Antisect. 1980s Crust was founded by the bands AmebixPeter Jandreus, The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk 1977-1987, Stockholm: Premium Publishing, 2008, p. 11. and Antisect, in 1985, with the Arise LP and Out from the Void single, respectively. The term "crust" was coined by Hellbastard on their 1986 Ripper Crust demo. As punk historian Ian Glasper puts it, Malcolm "Scruff" Lewty, vocalist and guitarist of the group, commented, Punk journalist Felix von Havoc contends that Doom, Excrement of War, Electro Hippies and Extreme Noise Terror were among the first bands to have the traditional UK "crust" sound. Additional subgenres of this style began to develop. Deviated Instinct, from Norwich, created "stenchcore", bringing "both the look and sound — dirty and metallic, respectively — to their natural conclusion".Glasper 2009, 284 Initially an anarcho-punk group, they began to take increasing influence from metal. As vocalist Julian "Leggo" Kilsby comments, Extreme Noise Terror is credited with developing this style into grindcore. However, Pete Hurley, the guitarist for the group, declared that he had no interest in being remembered as a pioneer of this style: "'grindcore' was a legendarily stupid term coined by a hyperactive kid from the West Midlands, and it had nothing to do with us whatsoever. ENT were, are, and — I suspect — always will be a hardcore punk band... not a grindcore band, a stenchcore band, a trampcore band, or any other sub-sub-sub-core genre-defining term you can come up with."Glasper 2009, 279 American crust punk began in New York City, also in the mid-'80s, with the work of Nausea. The group emerged from the Lower East Side squat scene and New York hardcore,Init 5, September 25, 2007. http://dailynoise.blogspot.com/2007/09/nausea-wow.html Access date: June 18, 2008. living with Roger Miret of Agnostic Front.John John Jesse interview, Hoard Magazine, June 2005. http://www.hoardmag.com/jj/1.htm Access date: June 18, 2008 The early work of Neurosis, from San Francisco, also borrowed from Amebix, and inaugurated crust punk on the West Coast.Adam Louie, Mastodon, Neurosis show review, Prefix magazine, January 29, 2008 http://www.prefixmag.com/features/mastodon-neurosis/brooklyn-masonic-temple/16952/ Access date: June 18, 2008Anthony Bartkewicz, Decibel Magazine No. 31, May 2007. http://www.decibelmagazine.com/features/may2007/neurosis.aspx Access date: June 18, 2008 Disrupt (Boston),Nick Mangel, Disrupt LP review, Maximum Rock'n'Roll #301, June 2008, record reviews section. Antischism (South Carolina), and Destroy (Minneapolis) were also significant U.S. crust groups. 1990s An important American crust punk band was Aus Rotten"Crust-punks Behind Enemy Lines release One Nation Under The Iron Fist of God from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Crust punk also flourished in Minneapolis, shepherded by the Profane Existence label. In this period, the ethos of crust punk became particularly codified, with vegetarianism, feminism, and sometimes straight edge being prescribed by many of the figures in the scene. The powerviolence scene associated with Slap-a-Ham Records was in close proximity to crust punk, particularly in the case of Man Is the Bastard and Dropdead."Powerviolence: The Dysfunctional Family of Bllleeeeaaauuurrrgghhh!!." Terrorizer no. 172. July 2008. p. 36-37. Crust was also prominent in the American South, where Prank Records and CrimethInc. acted as focal points of the scene. The most well-known representative of Southern crust was His Hero Is Gone.Andrew Childers, "Kick in the South: A Look Back at Prank Records and the Southern Crust Scene." April 5, 2008. http://grindandpunishment.blogspot.com/2008/04/kick-in-south-look-back-at-prank.html Access date: June 21, 2008 Prominent crust punk groups (Driller Killer, Totalitär, Skitsystem, Wolfbrigade, and Disfear) also emerged from Sweden, which had always had a strong D-beat scene. Many of these groups developed in parallel with the much more commercial Scandinavian death metal scene.Ekeroth, p. 107, 266. 2000s Some notable crust bands in the 2000s include Iskra, Behind Enemy Lines, and Tragedy. 2000s decade has also seen the growing of a big scene in the city of A Coruña, Spain, including bands as Black Panda, Ekkaia or Madame Germen.D.C3.A9cada de los 90s.2F00s .28Portland.2C Suecia.2C Espa.C3.B1a.29 Fusion with other genres Industrial As Amebix was heavily influenced by Killing Joke, who are among the founders of industrial rock,Reynolds, Simon (2005). Rip it up and start again: Postpunk 1978-1984. London: Faber and Faber Limited, p. 435 crust punk has always had some relationship to this style. Nausea also eventually incorporated elements of industrial rock."All through the 80’s I was very into bands and styles other than punk or metal like Killing Joke, Einsturzende Neubauten, Test Dept. ..." - Roy Mayorga, interview with Bela. http://hitkit.eu/roy-mayorga-interview/ Access date: August 4, 2008. Grindcore Crust had a major impact on grindcore. The first grindcore, practiced by the British groups Napalm Death and Extreme Noise Terror emerged from the crust punk scene. This style is dubbed as "crustgrind"."In Grind We Crust," p. 46. Thrashcore and powerviolence The thrashcore and powerviolence genres which emerged from American hardcore punk are also linked to crust, in the cases of Man Is the Bastard, Dropdead and Capitalist Casualties. Black metal influences Crust punk groups, such as Amebix, took some influence from the early black metal of Venom and Hellhammer/Celtic Frost. Similarly, Bathory was initially inspired by crust punk as well as metal.Ekeroth, p. 27. Crust was affected by a second wave of influence in the 1990s, with some bands emphasizing these black metal elements. Iskra are probably the most obvious example of second wave black metal-influenced crust punk;Iskra Interviews. Iskra coined their own phrase "blackened crust" to describe this new style. The Japanese group Gallhammer also blend crust with black metal"Hard of Hearing", Terrorizer no. 171, June 2008, p. 56. while the English band Fukpig has been said to have elements of crust, black metal, and grindcore.Fuckpig at 2010 Supersonic Festival"C: Do you think that FUKPIG has founded a style of his own? Misery: Nah its just d-beat crust, with added horror C: and then What difference to FUKPIG from the rest of the bands? Misery: We add more black metal / horror influences, but are still inspired by the same things C: Is Necro-Punk your style? Misery: Yeah, necro in the black metal style playing crust punk, so yeah Necro Punk." Interview: Fukpig In addition, Norwegian band Darkthrone have incorporated crust punk traits in their more recent material. As Daniel Ekeroth wrote in 2008, Clothing Crust punk also has an associated DIY-oriented branch of punk garb. Similar to anarcho-punk, most clothing is black in color. Denim jackets and hooded sweatshirts with sewn-on patches, or vests covered in studs, spikes and band patches are characteristic elements of the crust punk style of dress. or pants covered in band patches.Kevin Stewart-Panko, "I Saw Disfear Three Times in Three Days", Decibel, no. 46, August 2008, p. 22.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/07/crustypunks_n_892646.html#s305086&title=Kerr Crusties sometimes wear dreadlocks.Hetherington, K. New Age Travellers, page 9. Cassell. 2000 Julian "Leggo" Kilsby of Deviated Instinct describes crust as "a punk-y biker look, more akin to Mad Max. Mad Max 2 is the crustiest film ever made!"Glasper 2009, 287 References Further reading *Ekeroth, Daniel (2008). Swedish Death Metal. Bazillion Points Books. ISBN 978-0-9796163-1-0 *Glasper, Ian (2004). Burning Britain: The History of UK Punk 1980-1984. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 1-901447-24-3 *Glasper, Ian (2006). The Day the Country Died: A History of Anarcho Punk 1980 to 1984. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 1-901447-70-7 *Glasper, Ian (2009). Trapped in a Scene: UK Hardcore 1985-1989. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 978-1-901447-61-3 *"In Grind We Crust," Terrorizer #181, March 2009, p. 46, 51. *Mudian, Albert (2000). Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore. Feral House. ISBN 1-932595-04-X *Profane Existence (1997). Making Punk a Threat Again: Profane Existence: Best Cuts 1989-1993. Loincloth. ASIN: B000J2M8GS Category:Genre Category:Hardcore punk Category:Anarcho-punk Category:Punk rock genres